In the kingdom of Elenstar, a ruler, Elendor, lived. But there were many secrets to this king, many things that he hid behind his severe mask. He had a beautiful elfin wife. At first, when he took his throne, he was not respected by all. Though he had killed the dragon that had plagued them, it was found out that Elendor was only a half-elf. Elendor was a good king, but, sadly, he was doomed.
· · ·
Elendor had sent out his most faithful friend, and brother to his wife, Draugmacil, to get information from The Ents about how to rid his people of the demons that plagued them. As Draugmacil approached Elendor's tree, a priest calls out, "Aiya, Elendor, Draugmacil returns!"
Elendor came running out to hear what Draugmacil had learned. "What news, Draugmacil? What have The Ents to say?"
"I'll tell you, my brother, but here or inside?"
"Here is fine. Tell me, so I may know how to ease this suffering."
"Calm yourself, my king, I will tell you all that they told me." Draugmacil took a deep breath. "The Ents said that the demons are lost souls of the elves that fought under our last king. The Ents also said that they want to avenge his wrongful death."
"Then why do they come here? If they want to avenge him, why do they wreak havoc on his kingdom and his people?" Elendor said. "Why make the elves he loved suffer?"
"Good points my king, but The Great Ents told me that the killer is still in out city. The demons will not leave until the killer has faced the fate that the Goddess has given him."
"So the killer is male?"
"So the legends say, my lord."
Elendor had made up his mind; he was going to find this killer! "Very well, you have done well, brother. I will take the task of finding this killer into my own hands. I will save my people."
· · ·
As hi first step into finding this long lost killer, Elendor spoke to his people. He asked them if any of them knew who the killer was. When he asked he got no answer. He got angry at this, thinking that they were protecting guilty friends. He calls out, saying that he will banish the killer as soon as he finds out who it is. He says that he will force the elf out of his lands and out of all elfin lands, forcing the murderer to live away from any elves for eternity. After this one spoke up, "My king, I am not that guilty man, nor do I know him, but I know someone who might. He is a mage, sir, and he can tell you who did this crime."
"Very well," said Elendor, "send for him, let him speak to me." As he said this the very mage walked up to the gathering. People moved out of his way as he walked forward. He was being led by a young elfling (young elf). It was becoming dark and, in his old age, the mage had lost his night sight and, so, needed to be led. "Great mage, I am told that you can help me, help in finding this killer of kings. Is it true?"
"Yes, it is true," the mage responded.
"Than speak, help the city be free of the horror that these demons cause."
"No, my king, please no, do not make me tell of what I know."
"What?! You will not tell us, do you like to see the suffering around you in this place? Do you want to hear the cries of elves as another demon attacks?" Elendor all but yelled.
"Do not insult me; I am doing this for your good! I do not want to put both you and me in harms way!" the mage lowered his voice, "Please, do not press me."
"You enjoy the suffering! You causing this pain!"
"I enjoy it? You would not say such things if you knew your own mind!"
"Know my own mind! I know my mind! If I didn't know that you had been gone at the time I would have suspected you as the killer old man, yes you! As it is I'm sure you planned it out and did all but the shot from the trees with the deadly shaft!" Elendor had lost it. He didn't know what he was saying anymore.
This last remark sent the mage into a rage. He would not stand by and be told that he was a murderer. "You would, would you? Leave the elves, the one who summons the demons here is you!"
"Wait, that made no sense, say it again and clear this time."
"Was it not clear enough for you? Then I'll say it again, the man that you search to pay for his crime is none other than yourself!"
Elendor was about to make another remark when he remembered that Draugmacil had also advised him to seek out this mage. "Is it Draugmacil or you who came up with that absurd idea?"
"Neither—" Elendor went inside before the mage could finish. His thoughts turned to his wife's brother. So that is what Draugmacil wanted, he wanted my throne, he is jealous that I am king and he is not. Well I will not give him my throne, I will stay king of these elves and he will be banished, he will not live to see the day when he is king here!
· · ·
Before the crowd of elves had gone, Draugmacil came and spoke to them. "What have I done? How has Elendor the king pinned this murder on my hands? How can he call me traitor when all I have ever said or done to him has been kind? I do not understand."
One in the crowd responded, "We do not know why, but I believe at least that it was not a remark made by one with a calm heart, but rather, one whom was taken over by their spirit of anger. But wait…you can ask him yourself, here he comes down from his tree."
Elendor was shouting again, "What are you doing here? It's not enough that you kill the past king and fail to get the throne, but now you want to put the blame on me so that you can reclaim your sister's kingdom?!?"
"Please, Elendor, listen to me. Why should I want the throne? You are married to my sister. Share equal power with her. But do you not also share your power with me? Why should I want to have the same power I have now, but with the worries and troubles that come with being king? I like it where I am; I do not need to be king to be happy. I'm quite happy as I am."
They continued to argue until one of the elves remaining in the crowd told them that Isilnar, the queen, was coming. "Senseless fools, acting like dwarves, bickering and arguing like naughty children! Look at yourselves, what stupidity is this, get you inside, both of you, go home!"
"I would, my sister, but I cannot, your husband has said he found me in a plot to take his life and his throne, I will not be insulted in such a way!"
"I did. I will stand by that and you should leave."
"I swear by the Goddess that I did not one part of that crime, this crime that you press on me that you say I have known about and committed."
"Oh listen to him," Isilnar said, "he's swearing, he's swearing on the Goddess, no elf alive would dare to lie on an oath like that." What was left over of the crowd tried to convince Elendor of this. It didn't work and Elendor ends up sending Draugmacil away. Then the crowd turns its attention to Isilnar, telling her to take her husband into their tree, into their home. She waits a little longer and then leads him to a sheltered clearing.
"Tell me, my lord, what was that about, why does the spirit of anger show such a face through you?"
"Draugmacil awoke the spirit within me; he has played me for a fool and lied to me. He names me the murderer, makes me out to be the killer of kings. He names me so through the old mage."
"Well pay no heed! The very same mage told late Damar that his son would kill him, but that was not possible! He was killed far from here where three roads met. And on top of that, when Damar's son was only three days old, was left in a tree, with his ankles help together by a powerful spell."
"I wish, my queen, that that had eased my mind, but it didn't, in fact it did quite the opposite. You said that he was killed where three roads meet?"
"Yes"
"And when did it happen?"
"A little before you arrived. That is when the news reached us here at this city."
"And what did Damar look like, exactly?"
"He was tall, a mighty elf, a little old, but you could tell that when he was in his prime he was someone with great strength and that you wouldn't have wanted to mess with him."
"And where did you get the details from? Can you get me the elf that you got them from?"
"Of course, but why do you—"
Elendor interrupted her: "Call him here."
"May I know of what bothers you?" Isilnar asked, "Or is it some dark secret that you cannot speak aloud?" Elendor told her and the remaining crowd that he was starting to feel as if he might have been the killer and that he was wondering weather to leave. The elves that had gathered told him to wait until this witness had arrived.
· · ·
A messenger came later in the evening and asked for King Elendor. Isilnar told him that Elendor was inside and asked him if he was wanting news or bringing it. He told her that he had happy news from the land where Elendor came from. Isilnar asked what kind of happy news and the messenger told her that Elendor had become king of his old land. She became confused but then the messenger told her that the old king had died. Isilnar told a servant girl to go and get Elendor to come out to hear the news. Elendor celebrated when he heard the news. He shamed the goddess by saying that he was free. He had been given a prophecy a long time ago that he would kill his father and marry his mother. That had been proved wrong by the fact that his father had died a completely natural death far from Elendor. Elendor still had doubts though, because his mother was still alive. He would not go back to his old home and told the messenger so.
The messenger responded to this by saying: "You won't go home because of your fear of this prophecy?" Elendor nodded. "Then you have nothing to worry about. You and my dead king are races apart. He was not your father. He was no more related to you than I am."
"What do you mean," Elendor said, "He called me his son and raised me as such and yet you say that he is not my father? How so?"
"You were a gift to him, one of my friends found you in a tree and gave you to me to raise as my own, but I was a busy man in those days, I didn't have time for children." The old messenger looked at Isilnar, seeing that she had gone pale. "I took off the spell that bound your feet, but it left a mark, I'm not a mage you know."
Elendor thought for a moment, "Do you know if it was my mother or my father that left me like that?"
"No, sir, I do not, the man who gave you to me would though."
"Isilnar, do you know of the man that he means? Is it the same man that I have already called for? Please I must know."
Isilnar couldn't take anymore. "What does it matter? What does it matter if it is the same man or another. Leave this topic be, let it alone and come inside!"
"I can't, I am so close to finding my past; I can't stop now, not when I'm so close!"
"By the Goddess! Stop now, for your own sake and mine, do not proceed!"
"No, I must know, I must find out about my past!" Isilnar ran into their home with a last exclamation of how stupid and stubborn Elendor could be.
· · ·
The messenger's friend had arrived overnight and in the morning a small group could be seen standing outside of the king's tree. Elendor had asked the young scout if he had ever seen the messenger before. At first the scout denied it, saying that he did not recognize the messenger, but the messenger told him of how he had given Elendor, as a baby, to him and that they had worked with each other for one and a half years. At last the scout admitted that he had in fact given the baby to the old messenger. When Elendor asked the scout where he got the baby from, the scout begged not to be asked more, but Elendor would not stop. It becomes clear after the scout has said all that Elendor needs him to say that he is, in fact, the son and husband both, of Isilnar.
Later in the day, an official tells the gathered elves that the queen, Isilnar, has killed herself. She was too discussed by the fact that she had married her own son, even unknowingly, and so she had taken her own life. And more bad news the official had to say, he told the crowd that their king had come into the rooms to find the sight of his dead wife/mother and blinded himself. He did not want to see anything else ever again, he wanted to live in darkness until the day he died. Elendor came out and tried to banish himself, giving his throne and young daughters to Draugmacil. He apologized to Draugmacil and begged for his death. Draugmacil would not do so, nor would he banish Elendor. Draugmacil decided to wait on his decision on what to do until he could consult the Goddess.